DETROIT – What was to be a potentially dangerous game was not much of a contest sometime around the third quarter.
Yes, it was men against boys out there (and the statistics back it up). And yes winning 21-3 was nice when you consider everything the team went through in the previous 48 hours.
However at the end of the day, the win was only for bookkeeping purposes. It gave them the same record as their rival Eagles going into this Sunday’s big one.
The Real Big One.
Not many will be as big as this tilt at the New Meadowlands Stadium between these two. With even records, this game will go a long way in determining how each other Road To Dallas will shape up to be.
What is in it for both teams? It is the potential of not only winning the NFC East, but also the ability to claim a first round bye in the playoffs.
Chicago currently holds that spot, but if the Giants can end up with the same record, they would become the second seed in the NFC.
The loser would likely need three road victories in order to reach the Super Bowl.
The stakes are that high.
Philadelphia has been the hammer in this rivalry to the New York’s nail the last five times they have met.
There was the loss several days after finding out Plaxico Burress shot himself in that nightclub in December ’08.
There was the playoff loss in ’09 when the team in Blue had thoughts of a repeat trip to the Super Bowl.
There were the two losses last season, embarrassing because of the lack of defense by the Giants, surrendering 85 points in two games.
Then there was last month.
Every which way, the Eagles have been able to find a way.
The main reason is because the Giants have given it away.
Literally.
This cannot stand.
In addition to the five losses, the Giants have turned the ball over an astonishing 15 times. This is never going to get it done when the margin between these two teams are more even the 5-0 record the Eagles have suggests.
Call it “not getting out of your own way”, but any success the offense will appear to have mostly seems to end in the ball going the other way. None was more evident than last month when the Giants turned the ball over five times in a 27-17 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field.
Yes, the Eagles should have blown the game wide open by halftime, but they did not. Two turnovers deep in their own territory led to only six points. With the game on the line down by eight, Eli Manning had a first down on a scramble, yet somehow forgot his sliding mechanics and lost control of the ball as he fell to the ground that cost the Giants a chance to further move down the field for the tying score.
The flashy players in this matchup belong to Philadelphia so it is incumbent on the Giants defense, resurgent after their dominant performance here against Vikings, are looking for a second chance to stop Mike Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson.
In the first matchup, they were able to contain them for the first three-plus quarters before the Eagles embarked on a 90-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
However, as teams figure out creative ways to get pressure on Vick, he has take an inordinate amount of hits. The Giants defense made Tavaris Jackson their sixth victim of the season last night and would love to make Vick the seventh.
What needs to happen is for the offense to wear down the smaller Eagles defense by pounding them with the running game. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have each had big game the last two weeks and with both backs feeling fresh and the return of David Diehl to the offensive line, they should be a market improvement over the 61 yards gained in the first meeting when all but one run in that game went to the right.
Also, this game is on Eli Manning, who has also been a major culprit in these losses, to protect the football and not put the team in disadvantageous positions.
Note to Eli: Assuming he plays, you may not want to throw in the direction of Asante Samuel (four interceptions in five games).
You are not going to beat the Eagles on sheer talent, raw emotion or brute force.
The Giants need to play with their minds. Smart plays instead of dumb ones.
No need for anyone to be a hero. If a play is not there, move on to the next one.
Too many times, the Giants have made the game too easy for the Eagles. Whether it be a missed tackle, long third down, poor kick coverage, running shorter routes or not protecting the football.
This has to end now.
You can get away with sloppy play against the Tavaris Jackson led Vikings. You cannot do the same against the Eagles.
This is the chance, finally to put this “Eagles Hex” to end.
The time to do it is on Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment